Wet Behind The Ears
by RedroseNYAN
Summary: Sly and the gang steal a bottle supposedly containing water from the fountain of youth. Sly doubts its credibility, but acknowledges its value. However, while making their getaway, the bottle is dropped and the water is spilled all over Sly, turning him into a five year old! Will he ever get back to normal, or will he have to survive his childhood all over again?
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hello! So, as some of you are aware, I do have two other stories that are unfinished. The first one, I've pretty much abandoned and I will be removing it soon. Sorry. The second, I do want to continue, but sadly, I have** **been having trouble writing the next chapter, especially with school going on. Somehow, though, I've had a sudden inspiration thanks to the recent Sly Cooper: The Movie trailer. After skimming through fanfics and fanart, I've decided to add my own to the mix!**

**Also, I'm still debating on the story title. I feel the current one is a bit cheesy (fitting for Sly Cooper, but meeehhhh). If anyone can think of anything better, let me know!**

**Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Sly Cooper**

Baldur von Dittmar: a former German military general. After trying to take over a military operation, he was stripped of his title and excommunicated from the military. Ever since his disgrace at the military, he's been amassing his own army, one he has promised the world to. But with his current age, he wouldn't be able to handle a hostile takeover. He recently "confiscated" a very valuable glass bottle from a black market trader from Spain. Supposedly, the water it contains is from the Fountain of Youth. The old badger was a force to be reckoned with back in the day, and it seems he wants his glory days back.

I don't really believe in something as ridiculous as the Fountain of Youth, but either way, I'm stealing that bottle. The container alone is worth thousands, and, if we find the right suckers, we could get millions for the water.

Besides, what's more fun than stealing from a paranoid old coot?

"I dunno, Sly. The general hasn't skimmed on security."

I smirked into my binocucom, making sure Bentley saw my amusement, "Oh c'mon, Bentley. I've snuck through tighter. Just make sure Murray makes his cue and gets back to the van without anyone noticing. Gotta make the rendezvous."

Bentley sighed, his eyebrows coming together. "I know, I know. I'm just worried. Our plans have a habit of going wrong..."

I rolled my eyes, "But we always come out on top. Listen, I'm about to get into position. Relax, okay?"

Without waiting for a response, I cut the connection, pulling the binocucom away from my face. Crouching on the spire of a cathedral, I could see all of Cologne. The German city really is beautiful at this time of night. There were lights everywhere, reflecting off of the Rhine like stars. It makes me wish I was here with Carmelita on a date instead of stealing a fancy bottle. Not that the fox isn't here. The Inspector has a habit of figuring out where I am. Well, which city at least.

I remember seeing her this afternoon at a café. She was drinking tea with one hand and holding her gun with the other. I swear she knew I was there! But she never saw me, and I stayed at a comfortable distance. If I wasn't in the middle of a mission, I would've donned a disguise and played waiter.

With one swift movement, I leaped off of the spire, whipping out my Paraglider as I fell. Lazily, I glided down to a telephone wire and lightly ran across it, quickly stuffing my glider back in my pack. I ran along the wire for a bit before hopping off to hitch a ride on a sail boat. The captain was none the wiser as he steered me closer to the bridge. With a strong jump, I grabbed onto the edge and hoisted myself up, being careful not to click my cane against the stone. Even at this hour, Dittmar's guards were patrolling his mansion. Luckily, the one watching this bridge had his back to me, so I was able to knock him out with my cane.

I snuck closer to the mansion, stealthily avoiding the bears that carried their flashlights and large guns. The brutes were huge and wore military uniforms. Although, they looked more like mercenaries. Hiding behind some bushes, I pulled out my Binocucom and looked around. "C'mon Murray...where are you?" , I whispered.

As if he had heard me, the familiar pink shape of my longtime friend appeared around the corner of the mansion. He was wearing a pretty convincing military uniform, and he even carried an axe to make him seem more believable. I zoomed in on the hippo, listening in through his communicator as he approached the guard watching the front entrance.

"Hallo, friend! Nice night, huh? Pretty clear."

"Oh, ja. Nice."

"You know, it sure is a shame to have to stand here guarding where there's so much nightlife to check out."

"Ja... I vanted to go to a night klub, but I'm schtuck here inshted."

"You know what, pal? I'll take your shift for ya! You really deserve a night off."

"Really? Dat's vunderful! Danke!"

"Eh, it's no problem really. Just...helping out a comrade, right?"

I couldn't believe he bought it. Murray hardly even tried to sound German! But sure enough, I see the guard run off while Murray takes his place. With a quick look around, I ran over to him.

The pink hippo gave me a huge grin. "Did you see that? I was totally owning it! I channeled my inner German and _Bam!_ Instant victory!"

I chuckled and patted him on the shoulder, "Nice job Murray. Make sure not to stand here too long. Need you to warm up the van."

My burly friend smiled and nodded, opening the front door for me so I could slip inside. He closed it after me, already playing guard. Adjusting my grip on my cane, I snuck down the hallway, making sure to check the corners before I pass them. At one point, I saw a guard walking towards me from the end of the hall. Before his light could reveal me, I shimmied up a banner and hooked my cane on the lights hanging above. There's a soft clink, but the guard doesn't notice it, walking right under me without a clue. As soon as he's past, I deftly swing down and make my way further down the hall.

I check a few doors before I find the one I needed. It was the ballroom, but there were four guards patrolling the area. The bottle wasn't here, but the keys to the room were. Based on what we dug up, I needed all four of the guards keys in order to get into the room. Grinning mischievously, I walked up behind the nearest guard.

It was a ram, his thick arms telling me that his punches would hurt like hell. I needed to be careful and make sure to knock him out before he got any chances. With steps as light as air, I snuck up and carefully extended my cane towards his back pocket. In one swift movement, I coaxed out a few coins before finding what I was looking for: A large brass key. The guard paused, probably starting to realize his pockets were noticeably lighter. I didn't give him the chance to even turn his head. Hooking my cane on the back of his uniform, I heaved him up into the air before smacking him back down with an audible crack.

The noise echoed in the large ball room, attracting the attention of the other three guards. None were as heavy set as the ram, and I was able to fight them head on. Three geese, each wielding an axe that seemed way too heavy for their thin wings to carry, swung at me with wide arches. It wasn't difficult to dodge, and a few well-placed swipes of my cane knocked them unconscious. With the last of the guards out, I pilfered their keys before moving on. I had hit them pretty hard, so I wasn't worried about them waking up and sounding the alarm anytime soon. They'd be lucky if they even remember last week when they do anyways.

Bentley guided me to the room that housed the valuable artifact. The door was ridiculous. Over fifteen feet tall and as thick as Murray's head. The keys worked like a charm, and with some effort, I managed to crack open the massive doors enough to squeeze through.

There in the middle of the room was the case containing the sacred bottle. Even from thirty feet away, I could see the intricate designs on the bottle, gold leaf curving around it in water-like waves. A sapphire decorated the lid, making the magnificent piece sparkle in the laser light.

That's right, lasers.

This guy really was paranoid. Red hot lasers crisscrossed the entire room, making the path to the case impossible to anything bigger than a rat.

I whipped out my binocucom, glancing around the room as I opened the channel with Bentley. "Sorry buddy, but I'm stuck. I'll be Swiss cheese if I try to get through that."

Bentley nodded, "I see your problem. Give me a minute, I'll see if I can hack in and deactivate it." And with that, Bentley left the channel. I put the binocucom back in my pouch and leaned against my cane.

This was the part of the job I hated the most: waiting. Staying still was not something I did easily, especially in the middle of a heist. Even when sneaking up on a guard, I was constantly moving. From a simple flick of my tail to shifting my weight from foot to foot, movement was essential. In this room, however, there wasn't much movement to be made. I had to be careful of where I held my tail, not wanting to singe it on the red hot lasers.

After about thirty seconds, I started playing with my cap, spinning it on my finger. "C'mon Bentley. Can't you work faster?" I muttered. Apparently Bentley had his headset on and replied with something along the lines of "you can't rush perfection" or something like that. I huffed, waiting impatiently for another three minutes before some of the lasers started turning off. I grinned, already starting to weave my way through the hole Bentley had provided. The lasers stopped disappearing after a while, an explanation quickly following.

"Sorry, Sly. I can't deactivate any more without tripping the alarms. You'll have to do the rest on your own."

I smirked, "Don't worry Bentley. I like a challenge."

Treading carefully, jumping and crawling between the lasers like an acrobat, I approached the case. Below the box, I saw a red button and quickly pressed it without thinking. Lucky for me, it wasn't an alarm. It deactivated the remaining lasers. Grinning at my good fortune, I happily smacked my cane against the glass case, breaking it with a single hit. Careful of the shards, I swiped the bottle, holding it carefully in my hand.

I didn't notice the pressure plate that the bottle had been sitting on.

All of a sudden, the lights went out except for a flashing red light, a blaring horn sounding throughout the building. Metal shutters fell over the windows for lockdown, coming down with a noisy clatter.

"Sly! Get out of there now!"

I was already moving. Stuffing the bottle into my pouch, I ran to the doors. Locked, of course. But there was more than one way out of a room. After a quick look over in the dim light, I noticed an air duct. A quick swipe of my cane dislodged the grated cover and I slipped inside, crawling forward on my stomach. As I crawled, I heard the guards trying to break down the door in the room behind me. I had to move fast if I wanted to get out of there before they realize where I had gone.

"Murray, you read me? Is the van running?"

"She's fired up!"

"Perfect. Bring her to the bridge. I'll meet you there."

"Are you sure? There are a lot of guards now. How're you gonna get through?"

I smirked, "I think I have an idea."


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Thank you so much for leaving those reviews! I love getting feedback from my readers, and I am so happy to see that I already have three followers! :'D Anyways, I apparently forgot to mention that I will post updates on Wednesdays, soo...yeah. Also! Don't be afraid to suggest better titles! I am open for suggestions!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Sly Cooper**

Chapter 2: It's just water

I switched off my communicator, not wanting the guards to hear us as I made my escape. Eventually, I found an exit from the air duct and carefully wiggled the grate out of the way. After a quick check for guards, I crawled out and looked around, cane ready. I was in the ballroom, the guards from before no longer where I had left them. Did they wake up? Whatever the case, I needed to get to higher ground.

With the agility that had been passed down my family line for generations, I scaled a column up to the balcony and took the first hallway I saw. As I ran, I heard the heavy clopping of hooves up ahead. More ram guards. I scaled a flag pole to my right, leaping up to balance on the tip. A single bound carried me to the nearest ceiling fan, and I hooked my cane around the pole holding it up and pulled myself to it. I was careful to not let my tail get caught up in the spinning blades.

The guards ran beneath me, hurrying into the ballroom with weapons drawn. Preferring to stay high up, I jumped from flag poles and fans down the hallway before I found the only open window. A pipe ran beside it outside, so I scaled it as soon as I was out. In record time, I was on the roof, but I had been spotted. The bears on the ground were shooting at me, bullets missing me by mere inches.

Trying to stay away from the edges, I scanned the German city for the rendezvous point. There! But Murray wasn't there yet. I could see the van's lights in the streets heading towards it, so I decided to put my trust in Murray's ability to drive like a demon. Taking a running start, I launched myself off of the edge of the roof, leaping up into the air like some insane free faller. But I wouldn't be free-falling.

A second after leaping off of the roof, I pulled the cord in my back pack, a parasail bearing the team logo unfurling speedily. I grabbed the lines, pulling on them to angle my decent to towards the bridge. The Bears shot at me, but most of the shots missed me. Some lucky shots ripped through my sail, but so far, it held true.

The bridge was getting closer, and I was starting to worry that I may have gone too soon. Then the van appeared, soaring up five feet into the air before crashing back onto the road with a metallic clang. The blue machine whipped around, the back doors flying open to allow me inside.

Perfect timing too, because my pursuers finally got their lucky shot.

A bullet ripped through the center of my sail, the whole thing falling apart as the wind ripped through it easily. I dropped like a rock, the van being my bullseye. Angling myself, I managed to roll into the back of the van without too much trouble, Murray flooring it as soon as I hit the metal.

The doors flapped as Murray drove away, and I used my cane to shut them as I finally righted myself. Grinning confidently, I relaxed against the wall, propping my arm on my knees. "Great timing, Murray!"

The pink hippo glanced back at me with a big goofy grin, "The Murray is never late to save a friend!"

I chuckled, nodding in agreement before I pulled out the bottle from my pouch. Miraculously, it was unscathed front the whole ordeal. Not even the gold had chipped! I held it up, awed by its beauty up close.

Suddenly, something rammed against the side of the van, sending me sprawling across the back of the van. The bottle slipped from my fingers, and I watched in horror as it soared through the air. It was like everything was suddenly going in slow motion. Me, crashing into the opposite side of the van, unable to react to the sudden impact. The vial, the water inside seeming to float weightlessly as it flew through the air.

And all at one, it all came crashing down, the vial smashing against the wall of the van just above my head, chilly water spilling all over me and soaking my clothes. I coughed, sputtering from the sudden bath as Murray tried to regain control.

"What was that?! You okay Sly?" asked the hippo, unable to look back at me as he tried to avoid another collision from the vehicle that drove beside him.

I sputtered, wiping my face, "I'm fine! Just get us out of here, Murray!"

The hippo complied, but I could tell he was concerned. He weaved between traffic, trying to lose his pursuer. Unfortunately, midnight traffic wasn't as crowded as he would've liked, and the other car followed easily. Murray got a serious look on his face and called back, "Can you get the gun going?"

I nodded, quickly climbing up onto the roof where the hidden machine gun rose up. I slid into the controls, jerking the joystick to the side so that I could face our pursuer.

It was a black hummer, several bears inside. The passenger pulled out his own gun and started shooting at me, but thankfully Murray's erratic driving made it difficult for him to aim properly. My machine gun was better suited for this, and as I let the bullets fly, I knew we were free.

The pop of their tires was satisfying. I couldn't help but grin as they skidded to a halt. Swinging down into the passenger seat, I flipped the switch to retract the machine gun and hide it within the roof once more. Then I exhaled, leaning back in the chair in exhaustion. With the excitement finally over, Murray slowed to a cruising speed and made his way back to the hideout.

We had survived, but we had lost. The bottle was shattered, the pieces strewn about the back of the van, a few probably lingering in my fur somewhere. The heist had been a complete failure, not even a consolation prize left for us besides those few coins I had pick pocketed before.

My childhood pal gave me a worried look when he saw my sullen expression. "Hey, Sly? That sound...was that the bottle thingy?" I nodded mutely, picking out a shard that had stuck itself in the brim of my cap and flicking it away. Murray frowned, looking me up and down. "Did that youth water get on you? Are you okay?"

I sighed, rubbing my eyes, "It's just water, Murray. I'm fine." Murray looked skeptical, but he said nothing more, focusing on the road. It was awkwardly silent as we pulled into the hideout. Murray kept looking at me now and again, but he was just worrying over nothing. There was no such thing as the Fountain of Youth. Nothing was gonna happen.

As we entered the hideout, Bentley looked up from his computer monitor, adjusting his glasses nervously. "Well? How it go-" He stopped when he noticed my damp fur. "W-what happened?! Where's the bottle?"

I sighed, walking past him as I answered monotonously, "It broke. We got sideswiped by those goons and it hit the wall of the van." I grabbed a towel and took off my hat, running the cloth over my head.

Bentley turned his wheelchair, inching towards me, "You got soaked by the water, didn't you! Oh, Sly, do you have any idea what could happen?"

I groaned and pulled the towel down around my neck. "Bentley, it's just water. The Fountain of Youth doesn't exist. I'll be fine."

But Bentley wasn't convinced. Murray walked up behind him, rubbing his neck nervously, "But what if it is?" he asked, "I mean, we've seen weirder stuff. Remember those hopping vampires? Or those crypt ghosts? What about The Mask of Dark Earth?"

I sighed, turning away from them, "Those are different. We saw those with our own eyes. Just because those were real, doesn't make this real."

I didn't want to admit that I was starting to get worried now. If the water really did turn back the clock, how far would this quick soaking go? I had to hope that, if it did work, it had to be ingested. Then maybe I'd go back one or two years. That wouldn't be so bad. Certainly wouldn't be too noticeable.

Murray and Bentley looked at each other worriedly, then Bentley said carefully, "If you say so. Dry off and get some rest. The General thinks we still have the bottle, so he'll be looking for us. We need to leave in the morning."

I nodded, walking out of the room and into the bathroom. As I rubbed my fur dry, I started to realize just how sleepy I was. This heist was more exhausting than I thought. My arms and legs felt heavy, and I found myself yawning a lot. I nearly nodded off while drying out my tail. Bentley was right, I did need sleep.

Too tired to deal with my damp clothes, I dragged myself to bed and dropped down onto the blankets. With my last bit of rational thought before descending into sleep, I pulled the blanket over my head.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Woot~! I am so PUMPED :D I love seeing all of these reviewers and followers! I have so many plans for this fic and I can't wait for the next chapter! So enjoy this one, because up next, we get to see how Carmelita's doing :P**

"Sly, you up yet?"

I groaned, rolling over in my bed. A quick peek at my alarm clock revealed it to be four in the morning. It was way too early to be awake, and yet Bentley wanted me up? Fat chance. I buried myself in my blanket, hoping to get a few more minutes before the turtle sent in Murray. The oversized hippo had a knack for getting me up in the morning. From water buckets to cymbal crashes (where did he even find those?), he always got me out of bed whether I wanted to or not.

"Sly we need to leave in ten minutes! Get a move on!"

I groaned in annoyance. What was with the rush? It wasn't like there was someone after us...

Oh.

I had completely forgotten about the previous day. Now it all came back. The red lights, the van, the broken bottle. Every detail filled my head and I was immediately awake. I threw the blanket off of me and leaped out of bed. After I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes, I noticed something was...different.

My room was huge. Even my bed seemed twice as big as it was yesterday. Weird. Scratching my head, I walked over to where I had propped my cane with my hat on the tip against the wall. I blinked at my signature weapon, surprised at how it towered over me. I couldn't even reach my hat without moving the cane! Taking the object with confusion, I managed to retrieve my cap, but as I placed it on my head, the brim fell down over my eyes. Frustrated, I pushed it back up, brows knitting together in confusion. That was strange. My hat hadn't done that since I was a kid, before I grew into it.

I froze, the facts finally hitting me. The large room, my oversized cane, the hat, there was only one explanation.

I ran to the nearest mirror.

Staring back at me was the frightened face of my five-year-old self. My eyes bugged, my mouth hanging open, revealing tiny baby teeth. Even my clothes had changed, reflecting the outfit I used to wear at the orphanage. I stood frozen, unable to comprehend what I was seeing. The spell finally broke when my cap once again fell over my eyes.

I screamed, dropping my cane with a loud clatter as I backpedaled, ending up on my bottom.

The thumping steps of Murray and the mechanical whirring of Bentley's wheelchair rushed to my door, the large hippo breaking it down unnecessarily, as it was unlocked anyways. "Sly, what happened?!" called Murray, his fists already raised and ready for action. Bentley peeked out behind him, his crossbow loaded and ready. My pals glanced around in confusion before they looked down, staring as they finally noticed me. Their stunned expressions met my terrified one for a few tense seconds before Murray finally broke the silence. "Sly? You're a kid!"

I nodded slowly, reaching out to pick up my cane and get back to my feet, fixing my cap again. Bentley nudged Murray aside with one of his wheelchair's mechanical arms, "It looks like that bottle really did hold water from the Fountain of Youth."

I looked down at my hand, frowning deeply before looking at Bentley desperately, "Tell me you can fix this!" I was too panicked to think of how childish my voice sounded. I didn't want to be five again! I was in the middle of enjoying my glory years! How am I supposed to pull heists when I can barely hold up my cane?

Bentley scratched his head nervously, looking away from me. "Er, I don't know if I can. I didn't get a sample of that water. Without it, making an antidote would be next to impossible."

I looked at him in horror. No antidote? Was I going to have to relive my childhood all over again? No! I couldn't possibly do that! By the time I would be back to my original age, the gang would be on their way to retirement! My hand gripped my cane tightly as tears prickled at the corners if my eyes. I tried to hold them back, but I was too upset. They flowed down my cheeks freely, my shoulders shaking as I choked back sobs. I had forgotten how easy it was to cry as a kid.

My friend's reaction was panic. Murray made a nervous noise then scooped me up, making me blush in embarrassment at being held like a child again. "H-hey, it's okay! We'll find a way to get you back to normal, right Bentley?"

Murray looked hopefully at Bentley, who was quick to give assurance, "Y-yeah! Don't worry Sly, we'll have you back to normal in no time!" I looked at my spectacled pal, easily seeing through his words. He had less confidence than I did about reversing this whole thing, but he didn't want me to think like that. Both of my friends wanted me to have confidence in them, not just to get me to stop crying, but because it was _my_ confidence that had always urged _them_ on in the past. Even my overconfidence was better than this.

I rubbed at my eyes, just managing to force the next wave of tears back. I put on a brave face and nodded at them, "You're right...we have to stay pos-i-tive." I found myself having to sound out the word. It was a big word for a five-year-old to say, and my mouth had trouble shaping it.

Murray smiled in relief and set me back down. He then turned to Bentley, "So are we still leaving?"

Bentley nodded, "Regardless of Sly's condition, the sooner we leave the better. Murray, help Sly get his stuff together."

The hippo grinned and saluted the disabled turtle, "Roger that Bentley!" As he left, Murray turned to me and held up his arm to flex his muscle. "Alright! The Murray is ready to help you however he can! What's first?"

I couldn't help but chuckle at Murray's go-to attitude. "Thanks, pal. Most of my stuff is in there." I pointed to the small cabinet that I had stored my clothes and gadgets. "I think my duffle bag is in the closet. Can you help me stuff it?"

After about five minutes, Murray had helped me pack up the last of my things, although I couldn't help but think about how useless it was to have my adult clothes. Nothing would fit anymore. At least when I was back to normal I would have them ready.

As Murray and I left my room, my bag slung over his broad shoulders, he noticed how I was struggling to carry my cane properly and took it from me, insisting on carrying it as well despite my protests. I pouted until I realized what I was doing and quickly stopped. Just because I had the body of a five year old didn't mean I had to act like one. Still, I hated not having my cane in my hands.

Once everything was stuffed into the back, I noticed a high chair had been strapped into the back seat, Bentley having maneuvered himself into my usual spot by the window. I scowled, folding my arms across my chest. "I am not sitting in that."

Bentley smirked at me mischievously, "Sorry, Sly. We can't afford to be pulled over now. Gotta follow the rules of the road." He nodded to Murray, who suddenly scooped me up by my armpits, causing me to make a startled shriek and start kicking my legs childishly.

"Let me go! Let me go!" I complained, struggling against Murray's grip. But it was useless, and my pal managed to force me into the car seat and strap me in. I scowled, folding my arms in front of me before my hat fell in front of my eyes again. Murray chuckled as I readjusted it.

"I hate you guys," I grumbled.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: I can't believe I finished this chapter today x.x The first three chapters had already been written as a sort of buffer so I wouldn't get behind. Then I didn't write anything the first week and a half XD So, now I'm getting back into the swing and I'm getting started on the next chapter. I got BIG plans for this, and for y'alls sake, I won't let myself get behind.**

**And thank you everyone who has reviewed my story! I smile whenever I read them, and I am glad you guys like my story ^_^ **

The ride out of Cologne was uneventful. I suppose I should be grateful, but it's hard when you can't enjoy the scenery with your head sticking out the window. I hated feeling so confined. I could barely move and I was forced to take off my hat due to Murray's bumpy driving. Yet, somehow, I found myself drifting off to sleep. Maybe it was because of my five-year-old body, or maybe it was because it was so early in the morning. I went with the latter.

Eventually, Bentley woke me up while we were in a Supermarket parking lot. He informed me that we had to buy me some new clothes. I fussed about it, not wanting to go through the embarrassment of having to look through kid's clothes, but I couldn't ignore the sense in it all. Besides, it was my opportunity to get out of that stupid car seat.

Bentley accompanied me into the store, hoping his wheelchair would make us seem less suspicious. Despite my desire for independence, I couldn't ignore my tiredness and accepted his offer to let me sit in his lap while he wheeled around. I had to admit, it was very nice.

As he moved between the racks of clothes, he occasionally asked me about a shirt or pair of pants. Most of what I picked was blue, but I did go for a few shirts with pictures of cartoon characters that I had seen on TV recently. Particularly _Adventure Time_. While I thought the characters were silly, I found the stories to be entertaining and creative. Not that I got to watch much anyways, what with how often we were on the move.

After a quick trip to the changing room to confirm my clothes fit, we made our way to the check out. There were a lot of people in line, so we had to wait for a while. As I waited, I noticed the candy on display in the aisle. Suddenly, I knew I wanted one. I doubted Bentley would buy it though. With our failed heist only bringing up some pocket change, we had to be careful with our cash. So, I did the only thing I could do.

"Next," said the bored cashier lady.

Bentley rolled forward, the clothes he had already put on the conveyer following up to be checked out. The woman started scanning the clothes, moving mechanically through actions made into habit and packing them into plastic bags. After Bentley paid for the items, we rolled on through to the doors, but as we passed by the detectors, an alarm suddenly went off.

Bentley stopped, looking up in surprise and confusion. Not wanting to draw more attention to us, Bentley waited for the security guy to come over.

"Can I see your bag and receipt, sir?" asked the security man.

Bentley nodded, trying not to look too concerned as he handed it to him. I guiltily put my hands behind my back as the man searched through. After a few awkward seconds, he looked up at Bentley and asked him to walk through the sensors again. He obliged, the alarms sounding again.

"Sir, you have do you have any purchased items in your pockets?" The man was frowning, and his eyes narrowed as he noticed my guilty expression. I usually was pretty good at the poker face, but I was too tired to think about that.

"Son, did you take something you shouldn't have?" asked the man, kneeling down to look me in the eye. I avoided his gaze, trying to look tough. Bentley frowned down at me and snatched up the candy bar I had hidden behind my back.

"Sly, I'm surprised at you!" Bentley scolded, making me shrink away guiltily. I could tell he was overdramatizing this. Just another guy with a sneaky grandson. That didn't make me feel any better. Now I wasn't going to get that candy.

After Bentley handed the candy back to the man, he let us go on out of the store. Once we were out in the parking lot headed back to the van, Bentley spoke soft enough for only me to hear, "I am surprised though, Sly. You're sneaker than that. Why didn't you rip off the bar code?"

I blinked. Why hadn't I thought of that? It made perfect sense, but the thought hadn't even occurred to me. Had my mind also been diminished along with my age? This realization scared me, and I remained silent as Bentley placed me back into my car seat.

If that water could do all of this, what would happen if we couldn't turn me back? What else would I lose? My skills? My memories? I shook my head, folding my arms in front of me. I shouldn't dwell on this. Bentley was smart; he could fix this.

I must've fallen asleep again, because next thing I knew, it was dark and Murray was carrying me into a hotel. It felt strange being held like a child again, but I found it pleasant and didn't complain. The room we stayed in had one bed and a couch, and, given my new size, I was asked to sleep on the couch. Not that I minded. I slept on the couch most of the time anyways. Bentley was up all night on his computer, and I fell asleep to the clicking keystrokes.

**Meanwhile...**

The lights gave off a soft buzz in the detective's office, causing it's occupant to occasionally twitch her ears in annoyance. Carmelita Fox, the best International Police Officer on the force, was going over the papers containing all of the details of last night's robbery. She had been investigating the owner of the stolen item for the last month, trying to find the evidence to back up the current rumors circling the former general. So far, she had found nothing concrete, but after noticing Sly Cooper climbing onto a roof during one of her patrols, she had a sneaking suspicion there was some truth to those rumors. She had been trying to bust Cooper long enough to know that he preferred to steal from other criminals, so his presence here couldn't be a coincidence.

Taking a sip from her coffee, she picked up a photo from the safe that had contained the stolen goods. Next to a yellow number 1, Sly Cooper's signature calling card was resting where the item was supposed to be. The item in question was an ornate glass bottle that Dittmar insisted had magical properties.

There as a knock on her office door, and she glanced up at it to see one of the local police looking through the window. Sighing, she waved in the German Shepherd, putting a hand on her hip as she awaited his message.

Trying not to be intimidated by her famous position, the dog inclined his head, "Inspector Fox, Herr Dittmar is here to speak with you."

Carmelita frowned at this, "Dittmar? Send him in." She had already interviewed the old badger at his estate about the robbery. She hoped he had come up with more information; otherwise this would be a waste of her time.

Saluting her, the dog left to fetch Dittmar while she gathered up the case file, making sure the desk was neat and no unwanted information was visible. Soon, the grey-haired badger walked in, closing the door behind him, "Frau Fox."

She nodded to him, gesturing to the chair on the other side of her desk, "Hello Mister Dittmar. What is it you wanted to talk to me about?"

The the badger huffed gruffly as he sat in the chair, folding his hands over his stomach. "Well, I just wanted to inform you that I am dropping all charges. The search is off."

Carmelita looked at him in surprise, wondering if she had heard him right. He was giving up? He was letting the Cooper gang get away with his priceless item without so much as a fuss? What happened to the furious old man that had demanded that justice be served? It hadn't even been one day!

"May I ask why?" She questioned, sitting down with a skeptical look.

The badger grinned knowingly, "I do not require the service of the police. I am more than capable of finding this raccoon myself."

Carmelita frowned, "In all due respect, Mister Dittmar, you are not as young as you used to be. It would be best to leave this to the professionals-"

"Professionals?!" He laughs, shaking his head, "My dear Fräulein, I have plenty of employees that are more qualified for this task that you or your mercenaries. I've heard of your many failures to capture the Cooper gang over the years, and I have to say, I am not impressed. I think it's time you stepped down."

Carmelita stared at him, fury in her eyes. How dare he say such things about her work! "Sly Cooper is this trickiest, sneakiest, most conniving thief in the world. What makes you think your men can do any better than a seasoned Interpol officer?"

The former general smiled, standing up laboriously from his chair, "I assure you, my men know how to track down rodents. I suggest you stay out of my way." Folding his hands behind his back, he calmly walked out of the room, leaving at the same time a bulldog hurried towards the room. The officer hesitated as the badger moved on, before rushing into the room.

"Inspector Fox, Inspector Fox! We just got surveillance video of the Cooper gang!"

Her eyes widened, "What?! Well what are you waiting for? Roll the tape!"

The bulldog nodded, taking the tape from his bag and rushing over to the television set by the wall. Once he had it in, he pressed play and stepped back so Carmelita could see.

A grainy image appeared on the screen. It was the entrance to a supermarket, where various people were walking in and out with groceries. After a moment, a turtle in a wheelchair wheeled towards the exit, a bag in his lap. However, as he passed through the sensors, an alarm went off and the turtle halted, looking around in confusion. A bull security guard soon walked over, gesturing the turtle to come back into the store. Turning around, the turtle obeyed, apparently asking the guard what was wrong. The as the guard picked up the plastic bag to check the contents, she saw that there was a child sitting in the turtle's lap as well, who had apparently been hiding behind the bag.

That child was a raccoon.

Carmelita was completely dumbfounded. The turtle was so obviously Bentley, even with the grainy video. But who was the raccoon? And why did Bentley have the child in his lap? Had the gang stooped to kidnapping?

As she continued to watch, she noticed something odd. The guard appeared to be speaking to the child, who was hiding his hands behind his back. Bentley intervened and revealed a candy bar. The guard took it and handed back the bag, exchanging a few words with Bentley, before he left, the turtle wheeling his way out of the store.

The officer stopped the tape and looked at Carmelita, whose brow was furrowed in thought. The child didn't act like he was being kidnapped. In fact, he acted like a mini Cooper in training! Had Sly picked up some kind of apprentice?

"Inspector Fox?"

Carmelita looked up at the officer, a determined look on her face. "Round up my squad. I need the exact location of that store and a helicopter. Check the parking lot cameras and see where their van was headed." She holstered her shock pistol and stormed out of the office, leaving the flustered bulldog to hurriedly do as she had instructed, reaching for the phone.

"Sorry Mister Dittmar, but Cooper is _my_ criminal to capture."


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: I am soooooo sorry for not posting last week D: It was a hectic week and I didn't even touch this story until this Monday. It's ironic since I said I wasn't going to get behind, and then that's the very next thing I do. :( But here it is! Prepare for some feels! Carmelita will make her next appearance in the next chapter, so keep your pants on!**

The next morning, Bentley briefed us on the plan.

"As we know, the water that has de-aged Sly was from the legendary Fountain of Youth. I've tracked the bottle back to a merchant in Spain who might be able to tell us where we can get a sample, or at least, whom he had got it from. With that, I might be able to engineer a cure to reverse its effects."

Bentley's news gave me hope. The whole way to Spain, I was bouncing with energy, constantly straining to look out the window and asking "Are we there yet?" I knew I was annoying the guys, but I was too excited to care. I think Murray was starting to lose patience after the 20th time, because he nearly ran into another driver to turn around and tell me loudly that we weren't there yet. I hadn't seen Murray so angry before, so I stopped asking. I wouldn't ever admit it, but he actually scared me a bit.

As we left the country, we were met with an unexpected obstacle. Apparently, Carmelita was on to us, as there was a police barricade leading out of the country. We all knew there was no way we were getting past that, so Murray turned around and found a place to park a good distance away. Pulling out the map, Bentley tried to figure out an alternate route, sending out his RC copter to scout out each one. The police must've been at this all night, because every possible exit heading west was completely blocked. Even the subways and train stations were under surveillance.

"It's no use. We've been cornered!" Bentley wailed, leaning over the map, his hands over his head. We were sitting in the back of the van, the RC copter resting on the table in front of the turtle. Murray and I were sitting on the van's bumper, Murray hunched over with his head in his hand. The big guy was tired from the hours wasted trying to find a way to Spain. It was only a matter of time before he started complaining about being hungry.

I fidgeted where I sat, having trouble sitting still. I had been horribly bored since this all started, being prone to wandering about while Bentley worked. We were in the parking lot of a fast food restaurant, and I had been eyeing the play area that was visible through the windows. I kept reminding myself that I was way too old for something so childish, but I was so eager to do something, that I was seriously considering going in there regardless.

"Couldn't we just go around them? I mean, it looks like we could go back and circle around through that boot-shaped thingy."

"That's Italy, Murray, and we don't have time for that! I'll take days to go back and circle around the blockade, and we need to get Sly back to normal as soon as possible. Who knows how that water will affect him within a week?"

"Can that be a plan B, though?"

The two went back and forth, Murray trying to get this show on the road while Bentley was trying to search for a loophole. Honestly, I couldn't care less by this point. I was sure they'd figure something out eventually. Until then, I figured I should make the most of our situation. After all, when was the last time I slid down a plastic slide and _enjoyed_ it?

But first...

While the two were busy arguing over the map routes, I snuck up to the table and carefully snatched up the RC copter's controller, stuffing the small device in my back pocket. Grinning mischievously, I ran towards the fast food joint, holding down my cap so that it wouldn't fall off.

Pushing open the large glass doors, I was met with the greasy scent of burgers and fries, a small line of people waiting to order at the register. I glanced over at the plastic display case showing off the current toys that came with the kids' meals. I looked longingly at the tiny toy cars, then quickly shook my head. I didn't need kids' toys! True, I was about to go into a children's play area, but it's not like the gang was gonna know about that. Hiding a kid's toy wouldn't be as easy.

Walking past the case, I made my way to another set of doors leading to the play area. Before I even opened the doors, I heard the screaming and giggles from the kids already inside. I couldn't help it, I giggled myself. Running over to the tube that lead up into the plastic castle, I was stopped by an adult Husky, informing me I had to take off my shoes and put them in a cubby hole. I pouted, but did as I was told, plopping down and wiggling off my shoes. The canine put them in a cubby hole for me and let me through. I "accidentally" bumped into her on my way into the tube, quickly apologizing before climbing up into the fun-filled monstrosity. Crawling into a bubbly race car-shaped room, I sat down in the plastic seat and pulled out my prize; a simple brown wallet.

Hey, it was a force of habit.

After pilfering the 32 Euros and 28 cents and stuffing them into my pockets, I dropped the wallet into the spot of the bubble that was shaped like a tire. After crawling out of the room, I passed by a young rabbit. I told him there was something interesting in the race car, so while he eagerly crawled past me, I climbed up into an observation bubble that faced the parking lot.

Once seated as comfortably as one can in a plastic bubble, I searched for the team van, which wasn't hard considering it was very noticeable, and pulled out the remote. Squinting out the bubble, I recognized my two pals scratching their heads over the map. They hadn't even noticed I was gone! At least they weren't watching the helicopter.

Flicking a switch on the side, a red light turned on, then I pushed forward one of the joysticks. The propellers immediately started spinning, the tiny copter lifting itself up into the air. Grinning happily, I pushed around the other joystick, making RC copter turn around in a large circle 20 feet in the air. But that got boring fast, so I started testing its limits.

Steep climbs, sudden drops, even death spins, and I was giggling with glee. It flew in a loop-de-loop and made a big figure eight. I was having a blast, and the guys didn't even realize it yet! Then I remembered the Yank 86; a hook that Bentley had installed that would drop down and catch on something, then with a press of a button, the accelerator boost would fling the object in the direction it was pulled. And I knew just what to do with it!

Flipping a switch, a small monitor popped out the top, revealing the view from the copter's build-in camera. I flew the craft in the direction of the police blockade, watching it from the bubble until it was too far to see before I started focusing on the monitor.

By that point, one of the kids in the play area, a piglet wearing a bright yellow dress, decided to climb into the bubble with me. I didn't even notice her until she asked innocently, "Whatcha got there?"

I almost dropped the remote in surprise, but luckily, I had enough sense not to. I scowled at her and turned my attention back to the monitor. "Mind your own business!"

The piglet didn't take to kindly to my attitude and tried to look over my shoulder, "C'mon, I wanna see!"

"Get off me!" I growled, pushing her away. The piglet tumbled back on her bottom, tears quickly forming in her eyes. I didn't really feel guilty, she deserved it after all, but I expected her to run out and leave me alone. No such luck, because she got right back to her feet and pushed me back.

Releasing a small yelp of surprise, I fell forward, my body pressing both the joysticks forward. Panicking, I quickly sat back up and looked at the monitor. The scenery was spinning wildly, and I quickly tried to right it, pressing the controls in the opposite direction. Thankfully, the copter righted itself, and I was able to see the ground from a safe distance.

I released a sigh of relief before glaring back at the girl. "You almost broke it!"

The piglet huffed, folding her arms, "That's for pushing. Now tell me whatcha got!"

I groaned, sitting back down and staring at the screen. "It's a video game," I lied, "I got it for my birthday. Now get lost."

I think that last part went over her head after I said it was a game. "Really? Can I see?" She asked excitedly, already trying to peer over my shoulder again.

I groaned, "Fine, but no pushing. And stop breathing on my neck!"

The piglet snorted in laughter, then sat down beside me. "What kinda game is it? It don't look like a Gameboy."

I rolled my eyes at her, "It's way better than a Gameboy. It's all the way from America, so of course you wouldn't know about it."

The piglet pouted, but she didn't ask any more about it. After a while of watching me fly the copter over a highway, she spoke again, "My name's Natalie."

"Sly."

"That's a weird name."

"It's not weird. It's cool."

"It's weird."

I shot her a glare, noticing she was smirking. She snorted in laughter, and I wrinkled my nose at the sound. Pigs always had those weird laughs, and I was never really comfortable with them. Suddenly, she pointed at the monitor on my controller, asking, "What's that?"

I looked down to see the blockade of police cars come into view. I grinned, "Perfect! Check this out!"

Natalie peered over at the screen as I pressed a button, the hook dropping down to the cars below. Once it hooked onto the vehicle's bumper, I turned on the turbo, the RC copter shooting forward and lifting up the back of the car. The police cruiser flipped over onto the one next to it, shattering the glass and crippling the roof. Immediately, the cops were running around, trying to figure out what just happened. Not wasting any time, I repeated the action with another car, hooking the front bumper and flipping it backwards onto another car. I was laughing, proud of myself for thinking of this. As I flew over to flip a third car, Natalie decided to yell in my ear, "Look out!"

I winced, clamping a hand over my ears, "Oww! You're too loud!" I glared at her, before noticing what she was referring to. On the screen, the cops had finally noticed the helicopter and had raised their guns. I yelped in surprise and quickly maneuvered the copter in a frantic circle, trying to avoid getting shot at. Bentley would kill me if I broke it.

I guess I was luck the copter was such a small target. I somehow managed to hook the third car amidst the gunfire, but I was struggling to get into position to flip it. Natalie had made herself my backseat driver and started telling me what to do, "Go left! Left! Your other left! Ack, they almost got you! Flip it! Where are the bonus points?"

I growled and snapped at her, "Stop telling me what to do! It's my game!"

She growled right back, "Gimme! I can play it better than you!" She practically tackled me, reaching for the controller in an effort to get it out of my hands. I struggled against her, trying to push her back with my foot as I tried to get the controller out of her reach.

"Stop it! You'll make me crash!"

"Give it!"

"It's mine!"

Somehow, she managed to hit the turbo button, making the car flip, but in the wrong direction. It missed the other cars completely, merely rolling over and ending up back on its tires.

"You messed me up!" I yelled at her, angry tears prickling at the corners of my eyes. Seeing an opening, she drove her knee into my gut, making me gasp and release the controller. With her prize in hand, she ran out the bubble and into the tubes, leaving me coughing with my hand around my stomach. I couldn't believe I had been beaten up by a _girl_. And she even _looked younger than me!_ Well, okay she was already younger than me, but she looked maybe 3 while I was physically 5.

Then I remembered what I had just lost. Not only the controller, but the copter as well. Bentley would kill me if he found out! Desperate, I picked myself up and darted into the tubes after her, looking through the plastic maze frantically. I felt tears running down my cheeks, but I was too upset to care. I had to get the controller back!

Finally, I found another observation bubble that was shaped like a rocket ship that overlooked the play area. Peering out, I spotted her sitting in the play house section where all of those spinning wall panels were. The kind that had tic-tac-toe symbols on the sides. I hurriedly slid down the nearest slide and ran over to her, yelling, "Give it back!"

The piglet looked over her shoulder at me, scowling. "Something's wrong with your game. I think it's broken."

I slowed to a stop, staring at her with confusion and horror, "Broken? What do you mean broken?"

She rolled her eyes and handed me the controller. I looked at the screen, but all I saw was the blue sky. I was confused at first, before I realized what this meant.

The copter was upside down.

"I won't do anything when I press the buttons. I think it's stuck or something."

I looked at her, my eyes wide. The copter must've crashed while we were fighting over it. Either it was shot down or she left the controls idle for too long. Whatever the case, it was down, broken.

Bentley was gonna kill me.

"Hey, why're you crying? It's just a game."

I hadn't even realized what was happening. I was on my knees, crying over the controller with shaky hiccups. I didn't see when Natalie ran off to tell her parents, but I did notice when an obese female pig laid a hand on my shoulder, trying to calm me down and get my attention. She kept asking me what was wrong, and I tried to blubber out that it was broken, but my tears made my words completely impossible to understand. Soon, there was a small crowd of adults around me, trying to pacify me and get me to tell them where my parents were.

Next thing I knew, I heard Murray's voice.

"Excuse me! Pardon me! Large hippo coming through!"

"Sly!"

I looked up to see Murray crouching beside me, a concerned look on his face. I was sure Bentley was behind him. I couldn't bear to face him though. I had broken his RC copter. When he realizes this, I just knew I would be punished.

Murray scooped me up, and I could hear Bentley nervously trying to assure the crowd that everything was fine now and that they were going to take me home now. I buried my face in Murray's shirt, trying to make the tears stop. I hated crying. It was so easy when I was adult to keep myself from crying. But now, it was impossible. They came without warning over the smallest things, making me vulnerable and pathetic. Did I cry like this at the orphanage? I think I did. Mostly on the anniversary of the raid on my home, but I remember putting an end to that eventually. I looks like I'll have to relearn how I managed that.

The two loaded me into the car with hardly a word. I didn't fight them with the car seat this time, avoiding their gazes while Murray buckled me in. Sniffling, I gave Bentley his remote back. He looked at it with an unreadable expression for a few seconds, before putting it back into the storage box in the back of the van. We drove back towards the center of the country until the sun dipped below the horizon, and we found a hotel to stay at. While on the road, I managed to fall asleep, but it was a short nap. When I woke up, the moon was in the sky, and Murray and Bentley eating hotdogs in silence while the hippo tried to find the hotel. As I looked down at my feet, I realized something.

"I forgot my shoes..." I muttered, my voice cracking slightly from all the crying I had done earlier.

They didn't respond, Bentley only glancing back at me with a sad look in his eye.

That night in the hotel room, Murray placed a tiny toy car from the kids' meal on the end table next to couch I was sleeping on.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Merry Christmas everyone! So, along with this chapter, I have another present for y'all: I got a Tumblr! Normally, I don't do social networking sites, but after noticing the sheer number of readers that were anonymous or didn't have my story on their alerts list, I realized I would need another way to connect with my readers. So I made a blog just for that! Shoot me suggestions, asks questions, or just chat with me! The link in on my profile.**

**Also, I would just like to say that reading y'all's reviews warm my heart, and I believe I have just received my absolute favorite review from Nefres. Thank you so much for your encouraging words and I am overjoyed that you like my story!**

**Also, I looked at the story traffic chart and I find it ironic that I've gotten readers from all these different countries, but none from Germany, the original location in which this story takes place. Nothing wrong with that, but I find it ironic ^^**

**Edit: I have no idea what happened to the first one. All the codes went wonky O_O**

Things were getting stranger and stranger.

Based on the security footage from the grocery store, the police deduced the Cooper Gang was heading west and set up blockades as soon as possible. If they could funnel them to a single point, they would be a cinch to capture. However, none of them expected retaliation like this.

There was none of the usual Cooper style, or even any sign of Bentley's ingenuity. It was just the turtle's RC copter, swooping in at the barricade blocking a road to France, and toppling three police cruisers. Not only was it unexpected, but it was completely pointless. Reportedly, the aircraft started flying wildly after the third car and dropped out of the sky without even getting hit with the police's bullets.

Now, Carmelita stood in front of the damaged helicopter, trying to figure out what her men had witnessed. After the barricade had been thrown into chaos, everyone fully expected the Cooper's van to come barreling through, but nothing happened. Very strange.

Very suspicious.

Was this a distraction? No one saw the van go over the border. Then again, that monster of a vehicle has slipped past them before. Perhaps this was some new strategy.

Frowning deeply, she turned to the lieutenant beside her and ordered, "Take this to the labs and see if you can find a tracker. This thing is remote controlled, so if we can find the remote, we'll find the thieves."

The eagle nodded, then directed the forensic team to do the heavy lifting, reminding them not to leave a single part behind. While they worked, Carmelita pulled out her communicator, "Attention all units: The Cooper Gang may have escaped Germany. I need their faces spread all over France. Make sure that if anyone sees them, they'll know exactly who they are."

"Roger that, Fox."

Lowering the device, she looked out towards the wreckage, wondering just what the Cooper gang was up to.

-

"I don't wanna! You can't make me!"

"Now Sly, this is the only way we can slip by undetect-"

"But that's a Kindergarten group!"

Bentley sighed, rubbing his face. I was being a brat about this whole thing, but I had every right to. It was one thing to buy me kid's clothes and make me sit in a car seat, but it was something completely different to make me endure an elementary school field trip with a bunch of snot-nosed kids just to get across the border. The guys already donned disguises with fake IDs and names to pass as chaperones. Right now, Bentley was trying to get me to put on the school uniform. I don't know how or where he got this, be it was too dorky for me to even consider wearing. It was yellow. Yellow!

"I know this is embarrassing, but it's the only way we can even begin to make it to Spain. Please Sly? You could pick people's pockets?" Bentley coaxed. Unfortunately, his tactic worked, and begrudgingly, I changed into the horrendous outfit.

I stepped out of the van, scratching at my collar in discomfort. I was wearing a polo shirt with a shade of yellow that somewhat resembled pee and the itchiest pair of khaki's that I've ever worn. Flicking my tail in annoyance, I glared at Bentley and Murray, "I hope you don't plan on sleeping tonight. Because I'm gonna haunt your dreams."

Bentley rolled his eyes at my theatrics, then reached for my hat. I flinched back, clutching it protectively. "Not this too!" I wailed.

"Sorry Sly. The school dress code says no hats," he replied, his hand waiting for me to give up my precious hat. I pouted, reluctant, but I sighed. It was just for today. I'd get it back, no problem. Slowly, I relinquished my precious cap.

Holding it carefully, Bentley stored it in his pack, then adjusted his glasses. "Okay. Now remember, I'm Grandpa Reed, Murray is Uncle Kinsler, and you are Julius Ackle."

I nodded, scratching my thigh for the fifth time. Did I mention the pants were itchy?

As a group, we headed towards the group of chattering kids, some of the adults off to the side exchanging small talk while they waited for the last of the busses to arrive. Bentley and Murray split off to join the adults, both of them prepared for any questions regarding whose guardians they were, and any important knowledge about the shook or trip. All I had to remember was that I was the new kid and I shouldn't try talking to anyone. That was pretty easy up until the last bus showed up and we all were herded inside. I had no choice but to sit next to someone, and boy was I unlucky.

"Have you ever been to a museum? I have. What about one in France? I haven't been to this one, but I've been to better ones. My family's pretty rich, so we go to other countries all the time. Have you ever been to Russia? There's so much snow there! And the people are so crazy!"

The parrot wouldn't stop chattering, jumping between topics with hardly a pause for breath. I was kind of hoping he would pass out from lack of oxygen so I could have some peace, but it seemed he was an expert in excessive talking. As he started jabbering on about the amazing world of toothpaste, I noticed a puma trying to get my attention with a soft "hey!"

I glanced over at her, noticing her sympathetic smile as she whispered, "Sorry, Arnie's a bit of a talker."

"Yeah, this is more than 'a bit'," I replied, letting my annoyance show.

She giggled then whispered, "Watch this." Raising her head and voice, she addressed the bird, "Hey Arnie! You know Gertrude is on this bus, right?"

The parrot suddenly looked at her, paused mid-sentence, as a deep blush spread over his cheeks. The bird looked away, fiddling with his feathers bashfully in silence. I looked between him and the puma with surprise, then whispered to the girl, "How did you do that?"

She smirked, then jerked a thumb towards the end of the bus. I glanced down and saw a young brown bird chatting softly with a beaver. "Arnie's had a crush on Gertrude since preschool. Met her during the Christmas Mass."

I chuckled, glancing at the puma, "I'm guessing he's shy around girls?"

She nodded, "He hasn't even spoken to her as far as I know. He'll get over it though. My momma says crushes never last, especially when you hit puberty."

I smiled knowingly, "I think your momma's wrong."

The girl laughed at that, then stuck out her tongue, "Sure, Mister Love Expert. I'm Jane, by the way."

"Sl-er, um, I'm Julius," I stuttered. I had almost forgotten my alias. Thankfully, five-years-olds weren't the suspicious types.

"So when did you come to the school? I don't think you're in my class."

I thought fast, trying to think up a quick lie, "Oh, uh, I'm in a different class. Just started a few days ago."

She tilted her head, "Who's your teacher?"

"Uh, I don't remember her name yet. I'm too new."

She shrugged, accepting my fib. "Well, glad you could come along. We don't get to go to France very often. You picked a good time to come."

I relaxed, eased by how smoothly this was going. Jane and I chatted occasionally as the bus drove us over the border. The police didn't look twice at the busses, and let us through without even a search. As we passed the barricade, the kids on the bus started throwing around ideas over why the police were here. Those theories quickly turned to rumors, and before the bus reached the museum steps, half the bus was convinced there was a murdering bandit hiding a death laser in that area.

We all filed out of the bus, the chaperones ensuring everything remained in order and no one was wandering off. Which meant I couldn't slip away just yet. We were lined up and split into four groups by bus number. The three two groups were to go on different parts of the three part tour, and one would have lunch, then they would all rotate. My group would be the third to have lunch, which would be the best time to slip away with Bentley and Murray. My pals, unfortunately, were assigned to chaperone a different group, but I was sure they'd be able to slip away and wait for me to rendezvous.

Following in the line, an adult lion standing nearby to make sure no one wandered off, we were lead into the museum. Once there, the museum director gave us a brief rundown of the rules in the simplest of terms, obviously for our sake, then directed each group to a section of the museum. Our tour guide, a pimple-faced monkey, took us through the area, speaking boredly about the artifacts and such.

None of the artifacts looked really appealing, let alone valuable, so I took this chance to practice my pick pocketing. I had to be extra careful, since there were security cameras and tattle-tale kids all over the place.

After my third pickpocketing, I was caught.

"Julius!"

The harsh whisper made me freeze, and I looked guiltily at Jane. I quickly hid the wallet behind my back, but it was no use. There was no way she hadn't seen it. Frowning, I shoved it into my pants and whispered back, "If you tell anyone-"

"Don't worry!"

I blinked, having expected a loud "I'm telling!" or a disappointed "You're a bad person." Instead, I got a grin and a look that instantly brought to mind the phrase, "partner in crime".

She put a hand in her pocket and casually pulled a gold pocket watch that I had seen one of the chaperones carrying halfway out. Smirking, she gave me a wink. I grinned, nodding as she pushed it back out of view.

This was gonna be fun.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Please forgive me ;~; School is kicking my butt and I am forced to move my updating day to Friday from now on. I hope you all had a wonderful New Year and I want to thank Ghostkid33 for their thoughtful review. I wasn't sure about introducing Jane, but after seeing such a positive response to her character, I have been further encouraged. And inspired! Trust me, you'll see more of her soon.**

**Also, I am glad some of you have already discovered my Tumblr and soon I plan to open a Q&A which I plan to make drawings for as well. I've got tons of ideas already for some humorous Sly-related doodles, so please drop by to check them out!**

**Now, the chapter that you've all been waiting for!**

As the kindergarten class followed the tour guide towards the Renaissance exhibit, Sly and Jane put their plan into action.

"Now here, we have a painting over the French Revolution. Now, while this particular event failed in creating the free country the revolutionaries dreamed of, future actions would bring the country to what it is today. Would anyone like to tell me something they notice about this paint-"

The tour guide is interrupted as the young puma eagerly raises her hand, jumping up and down and calling out loudly, "Oh! Oooh! Pick me! Pleeeeease!"

The tour guide smiles in amusement, happy to see someone was so eager to participate. "Alright, what do you see in this painting?"

She squints up at the painting, then announces proudly, "A hippo!"

The tour guide frowns, and looks at the painting as the other kids giggle. "No, there's no hippo in this painting."

The puma pouts, "Yes there is! Look, behind the turkey!"

The tour guide shakes his head, then looks at her, "That's a warthog. Very different." The children giggle, some of the chaperones shushing them.

"No, that's a hippo. I know what a hippo looks like, and that's it!"

While everyone is listening to the humorous argument, I lurked around the edge of the group, tip toeing behind the adults supervising the kids. It felt wrong to do this without my cane, but at the same time, nostalgic. I easily lifted the wallet, quickly pulling out dollar bills and even a credit card before delicately replacing the wallet. It was the hardest part, slipping it back into their back pocket, so I waited until they were all laughing at Jane's argument with the tour guide before trying it. I could tell the tour guide was getting frustrated by the time I finished replacing the wallet, so I didn't push my luck. I stealthily slipped back into the group and got in Jane's line of sight, patting my pocket when she saw me.

She smiled and innocently put her hands behind her back as she looked up at the tour guide, "You're right! I guess I should get glasses, huh?"

The tour guide exhaled in relief, "Yes...anyone else?" She happily rejoined the group, a few of her friends giggling as they praised her for messing with the guide. She received them with a goofy grin, glancing at me one to wink at me. I smiled widely before she turned back to her friends. I had a partner in crime! I was giddy, eager to do the same thing at the next stop.

Jane was a creative girl, using different tactics to get into an argument with the tour guide that would result in giggles from the class. Each time, I was only able to pickpocket one wallet at a time before we needed to stop. After the third occurrence, the tour guide started flat out ignoring Jane, and although this frustrated her, I assured her that we didn't need to be greedy. Besides, we still had another tour to go through before lunch. 

"Alright kids, let's head to the lunch area."

The sound of children's cheers was almost deafening. Literally half of the last tour was spent asking "when's lunch?" and the constant sound of tummy grumbling, making kids blush and giggle. I thought I would get caught once when my stomach growled while slipping out a pocket watch.

They lined us up and had us all make our way to a table that had been set up where chaperones handed out sandwiches and juice boxes. Once Jane and I got our lunches, I followed her to a picnic table where a few of her friends were sitting, including the talkative parrot.

"I've never seen so many paintings before! And they all look way better than they did on the computer. Some of them were kinda scary though... Hey Jane, what did you think of the tour?"

Jane looked up from her sandwich, then waved a hand dismissively, "Eh, it was okay. The tour guide was really silly. I guess he just didn't know how to deal with my super smart answers."

A bear cub named Heidi rolls her eyes, "I think you have it backwards."

The other kids giggle, including myself. I couldn't believe how right it felt to be around kids my own age. Adults were too fun to mess with, especially when I made friends while doing it. I could just stay here all day, exchanging jokes with my new friends...

That's when I noticed Bentley out of the corner of my eye.

I glanced over at the turtle, noticing him gesturing at me from behind some bushes. I blinked at him, confused. He was supposed to be chaperoning the other group, so why was he here?

I noticed he was mouthing, "Sly, we have to go!"

This confused me for a moment. What did he mean by go? Go where? I pondered this for a moment before I suddenly remembered the whole purpose of this trip. To get out of Germany. To get to Spain. To get the water from the Fountain of Youth.

_How could I possibly forget?_

"Julius? You okay?"

I looked at Jane, her expression concerned. I resisted the urge to look at Bentley again and stood up. "Yeah. Um, I'm gonna go see if I can get seconds."

She smiled, "Get another sandwich for me if you can."

I nodded, walking towards the serving table until I was sure he wasn't looking anymore, then slipped between the crowded tables of kids. I ran into the bushes, laying low and crawling towards Bentley's position. When he saw me, he smiled in relief.

"Sly, you had me worried there! C'mon, Murray's waiting for us," he said, turning his wheelchair and moving away from the picnic area. I didn't follow him at first, glancing over the bushes towards the table I had left behind. Jane and the others were still talking and laughing, unaware that I was about to disappear from their lives. Probably forever. If I ever did see them again, I would probably be back to normal, and they wouldn't recognize me. I had only met them today, but I was sad. I wanted to tell them goodbye. I wanted to thank Jane for playing with me. I didn't want to leave them like _this_.

"Sly?"

I watched as Jane teased Arnie, making him blush like he had on the bus and laughing. Feeling a weight in my chest, I turned away, walking towards Bentley. The turtle watched me, putting a hand on my shoulder. "Sorry, Sly...but we need to keep moving."

I nodded, glancing back once before following him to the sidewalk. I walked in silence as we joined Murray by the roadside. He was shouting for a taxi, grumbling whenever one passed him by. While we waited, Bentley tried to get me to talk, "So, how was the tour? Did you pick up anything?"

I nodded, taking the cash and silver trinkets out of my pockets, but I did not offer any of my usual witty remarks or jokes about how easily I acquired them. Bentley tried to smile as he took the cash, "Er, great job. Here's your hat back."

I took back my cap when he offered it, but I didn't put it on, holding it in my hands. None of this felt right. I should've said goodbye.

A taxi finally came to a screeching halt, Murray cheering at having finally hailed down a car. He tugged open the door and helped Bentley into the seat. After folding up his wheelchair for travel and stuffing it into the trunk along with my cane (which he had kept fastened to his belt), he ushered me into the seat before squeezing in himself. To say it was uncomfortable would be an understatement.

"Where to?" asked the driver, a rat.

Bentley replied, using a fake Spanish accent, since it was more believable than his French one, "The nearest subway to Spain."

The rat glanced back at us, examining us with a skeptical look. "You boys sure you can pay for a trip there and a ticket?"

Bentley adjusted his glasses, "I crunched the numbers, and I am confident that we have more than enough money for both."

The driver raised a brow and sighed, looking forward again. He hit the gas, the car jerking back as he merged back into traffic. Not two minutes into the ride, he ran a red light and was nearly hit by the mailman.

It was the scariest taxi ride I had ever endured in my life.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Guess what? My birthday is tomorrow! And instead of giving myself a present, I'm going to give a present to y'all! On my birthday, I will post a poem that I have recently written as well as a little bonus chapter on my Tumblr blog. Please check it out via the link in my profile ^^**

**Now, this chapter is going to take a little break from Sly and focus on young Jane. Honestly, I wasn't planning on going much farther with her character, but since you guys love her so much, I've decided to keep her! You have NO idea how much inspiration has hit me because of that decision! Also, I am now accepting suggestions concerning minor character designs and personalities, as well as cameo requests. More information is on my blog. **

**Now, enjoy! ^^**

He had been gone a long time.

As Heidi sneakily dropped a slice of lunch meat from her sandwich on Arnie's beak, making him squawk in surprise, Jane glanced around for the hundredth time for Julius. There was no way he could be taking this long to get another sandwich. She tried to calm herself, telling herself that he went to the bathroom and got lost or something. She didn't want to think about him getting caught by one of the grown-ups and having to give up all of the money they had collected. He would be punished pretty badly. They might make him sit on the bus, or send him home, or call his mama, or-

"Everyone, line up! It's time to go on the last tour of the day!"

Jane's thoughts were interrupted by the call. She and her friends stood up and walked towards the adult, who was already gathering the closest kids into a line. She took her place behind a young rabbit named Sophie, still looking around for her partner in crime. Her concern grew as she couldn't find him, even more so as the teacher began to lead them back into the museum. As soon as they were inside, she pushed her way to the front of the line, ignoring the calls of protest from the other kids. Looking up at the woman, she spoke, "Miss, I think we're missing someone."

The gazelle looked down at her then pulled out her list. She called out each name on it, each kid replying with "here!" as they were called. When she finished, she looked at her, "Everyone's here, sweetie."

Jane frowned, "You didn't call Julius' name."

The gazelle looked at the list once more then peered at her with a strange look, "There isn't a Julius on this list."

Jane blinked, perplexed. "He has to be! He's a new kid."

The lady shook her head. "Sorry. He's not on the roll." Then, putting up her list, she called for the kids to follow and lead them to the tour guide. Jane just stood there, the kids walking past her. Julius wasn't in her class? Did he sneak in? Why?

She needed to find him.

She turned and darted back outside while the chaperones weren't looking. Pausing to look around, she made her way back to the picnic area. The next group was already there, just starting to go through the lunch line. She looked around furiously, but she couldn't see Julius anywhere. Eventually, one of the chaperones noticed her and asked her what was wrong. Remembering Julius mentioning his guardians being in this group, she asked for them. Surely they would know where he was.

The chaperone frowned in confusion and said the turtle and hippo had never joined this group as chaperones. They all assumed they had gone with another group.

Jane was terrified now. She ran from the adult. Running back into the museum, she searched for a quiet place to think. Suddenly, she noticed a door and quickly darted inside, closing it behind her. It was an office, empty thankfully, with a small TV playing the news with the sound off. Trying to calm herself, Jane sat down in a chair. She tried to think; recalling everything Julius had said and done today. Had he given her a hint? Said something weird? Acted different? Then she remembered how he acted before he disappeared. He kept looking to the bushes and had this strange expression on his face. Like a mix between horror and sadness. Then he left.

She sighed, frustrated with herself for not stopping him before he disappeared. Suddenly she noticed something out of the corner of her eye. Looking at the TV, she saw something that baffled her.

Three photos, two of them looking frightening similar to the turtle and hippo that had been Julius' guardians above the French word for criminal. The third picture was a raccoon, looking much like Julius. She quickly got up and hit the volume button on the TV set, the sound returning. It was all in French, but she knew enough to gather that these were thieves that had just fled Germany and were loose in France. Then the pictures were replaced with a grainy image of a young raccoon sitting in the lap of the turtle.

It was Julius.

The reporter advised viewers to also be on the lookout for this boy, who had apparently been taken by the thieves. Jane was stunned, looking at the grainy image in disbelief. It couldn't be Julius. It had to be a coincidence!

"Hey!"

Jane's head snapped up, looking at an angry Turkey standing in the doorway. "You're not supposed to be in here!"

Jane quickly ran past him, shouting a quick, "Sorry!" The man shouted at her, but she was soon out of his sight. She always was pretty fast. Rounding the corner of the hallway, she burst out the front doors, only to run right into someone. She fell backwards, wincing as she landed on her tail.

"Oh, my apologies. I did not see you, Fräulein."

Jane looked up at a grey-haired old badger in an outdated German military uniform. She quickly got to her feet, giving him a small bow in respect, "S-sorry sir! I was just looking for my friend."

The badger perked a brow, "A friend? Well, perhaps I can help. What does this friend look like?"

She looked up at him happily, surprised and excited to hear that he was willing to help. "Really? Thanks, mister! His name is Julius, and he's a raccoon about this tall." She holds out a hand slightly above her head.

The badger seems to consider this, "A raccoon, hm? Like this?" He pulls a photo out of his coat, showing it to Jane. The young puma gasps, the photo depicting Julius sitting in the back of a blue van, looking up at someone outside the picture.

"That's him! Do you know him, mister?" She looks up at him with wide eyes.

The old badger chuckles, returning the photo to his jacket. "Why, yes. He's a friend of mine. In fact, he came to me not too long ago, awfully upset. Would you like to come see him?"

Jane nodded, eager to see her friend. Maybe he had escaped his kidnappers and run to this nice man for help! As the man led her down the museum steps, she thought about what she should say. He would probably be very sensitive on the subject of his kidnapping, so she probably shouldn't bring that up. Maybe a hug. Mama says hugs make everything better.

The badger led her to a black hummer, glancing to her as they neared it, "He's inside. Poor boy, he's been crying for quite a while."

Jane smiled proudly, "I can cheer him up! Just watch!"

She walked up to the door and opened it, but instead of Julius, two rams wearing brass knuckles sat in the car, looking down at her with devilish grins. Before she could cry out, the badger seized her from behind and thrust her into the car, one of the rams grabbing her, while the other pressed a foul smelling cloth to her nose. She thrashed and screamed, unsheathing her claws, but they were too strong. Breathing into the cloth, she suddenly felt very tired. The last thing she heard before blacking out was the old badger chuckling, "Sweet dreams, Fräulein."

Then he shut the car door.


End file.
